Curtain wall frame construction



Nov. 23, 1965 R. A. ENGHOLM CURTAIN WALL FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2

FIG.3

/ A M lf@ BY TTORNEYS INVENTOR R. A. ENGHOLM United States Patent C) 3,218,768 CURTAIN WALL FRAME CONSTRUCTION Raymond A. Engholm, 1190 Kipling Ave. N., Rexdale, Qntario, Canada Filed Aug. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 214,404 2 Claims. (Cl. 52--393) This invention generally relates to prefabricated curtain wall sections. More particularly, it relates to a means for securing prefabricated curtain Wall sections together.

It is practice to pre-assemble units for lincorporating into a curtain wall of a building in a factory, ship them to the building location, and then connect them together on the wall of the building structure. The units are of a varied nature and can be made up of panel sections and/ or window sections.

This invent-ion relates to an improvement in the connecting for the units on the wall generally comprises a channel-shaped conenctor, base mounted on the edges of the units to be joined. Each channel-shaped connector has sides that extend outwardly from its base for abutting relation with a channel-shaped connector and another unit. The abutting sides of channel connectors are secured together by a suitable means such as bolts to join co-extensive edges of Itwo wall units.

The invention will be clearly understood after reference to the following detailed specification read in con junction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a broken horizontal section part of a wall showing the means of connection of two standard wall units in the wall of a curtain wall construction and the connection of two corner units.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section showing an alternative means for connecting two units along co-extensive edges in which a thermal break is used.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view illustrating a mull-ion cover and its means of securement.

Referring to the drawings, and at first to FIGURE l, which shows at the left hand side a connection between a wall unit and a wall unit 12, and at the right hand side a connection between a wall unit 14 and the channelled connection 16 of a wall unit at the corner of a building.

Referring lirst to the interconnection of the wall units 10 and 12, the units 10 and 12 are interconnected along vertically extending co-extensive edges by means of channel-shaped connectors 18 and 20, which are substantially co-extensive with the edges of the panels to be joined. Unit 10 comprises a steel core panel 22 bolted at spaced apart intervals to the connector channel 18 by means of metal screws 23 and a pad of insulation 24, held against the steel core panel by means of the flanged plate 26, also metal and secured to the connector channel 18 by means -of metal screws 28. The unit 12 is of similar construction and comprises the steel core panel 36 secured to the connector channel 20 by means of metal screws 32 and an insulation retaining panel 34 secured to the channel-shaped connector 20 by means of metal screws 36.

In use, the panel elements and their associated connector channels are assembled in the plant, shipped to a building site, and assembled on the side of a building with their respective channel-shaped connectors 18 and 20 in abutting relation as shown.

The sides of the channel-shaped connectors 18 and 20 are formed at spaced apart intervals with holes to receive bolts 33, whereby once arranged in place on the Wall of a building they can be permanently connected at adjacent edges.

The channel-shaped connectors are very easy to tit rice together on the side of the building. In addition, they serve to give the pre-assembled unit rigidity during shipping because of their channel-shape.

It may be noted that the channel members 18 and 20 have a base that is broader than the edge of the unit to which they are secured and that each channel connector overhangs the base -substantially to form with its mating connector a project-ing mullion on the outside of the building. The overhanging portions of the bottom of the channel members are formed with detents 38 at longitudinally spaced apart locations, over which the flanged edges 40 of the channel mullion cover 42 can be flexed, as shown in FIGURE 3. When the flanged edges are so flexed, the detents form a lock against removal of the decorative mullion cover 42.

On the right hand portion of FIGURE l, I show a unit 14 having a connector 16 at one edge of the type used at a corner of a building in accordance with the principle of this invention.

The unit 14 in this case is a window unit having a frame 44 within which the double glazed Window 45 is set. Frame 44 is screwed to the channel connector 46 by means of spaced apart bolts 48 as before. An adaptor connector member having a channel connector 49 that cooperates with the connector 46 and a channel connector 16 held at right angles to the connector 49 by means of a right angled bracket 52 is provided to dispose the channel connector 16 at right angles to the unit 14, so that a unit on the adjacent side of the building can be interconnected as already described. Numeral 54 is a corner decorative piece.

The connectors just described are especially suited to joining wall units along their vertically extended edges. In many applications, it is not necessary to use the connection just described for horizontal extending joints.

In FIGURE 2 of the drawings, there is illustrated an alternative form of this invention that is especially adapted to the case where a thermal break in the metal between the -outside and the inside of the building is required. Where a thermal break is necessary, it is usual to provide for the connection according to this invention, on the horizontally extending edges of the units as well as the vertically extending edges of the units.

In FIGURE 2, the units to be interconnected are generally indicated by the numerals 60 and 62. Unit 60 is a unit having a steel core outside panel 64 backed by insulation referred to the numeral 66 held in place by means of the flanged panel 68. The panels are mounted to a channel member 70 by means of screws, as described in the panel unit construction of FIGURE l.

The unit 62 is similarly constructed to the unit 60.

It will be noted that the channel connector members 70 and 74 are each cut away at their base as at 76 and 78, respectively, and that an extruded clip section is bolted t-o the sides thereof as the abutting sides of the connectors are bolted together with an insulating plastic strip 82 between the clip 80 and the channel connector members 70 and 74. The panel 64 and the window section are mounted in the channels formed by the overhanging portions of the clip 80 and the cut-away portions of the connector members with insulating glazing beads 88 and 89.

The clip 80, which extends longitudinally of the joined edges and is substantially co-extensive therewith, is formed to receive the ilanged edges 90 of the channelled decorative mullion 92. It will be apparent that, as the channel 92 is slipped over the locking `strip 80, it will yield and that as it passed the inwardly sloping back edges thereof it will reassert itself to lock itself in position, as shown in FIGURE 2.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a curtain wall comprising a plurality `of units, means joining adjacent units along co-extensive edges comprising a pair of channel-shaped connectors, said connectors having a base and sides extending from said base, one of said channel-,shaped connectors being base mounted on the perimeter edge of one of said units, the other `of said channel-shaped connectors being base mounted on the perimeter edge on the other of said units, each of said channel-shaped connectors being mounted as aforesaid with their sides extending outwardly of the edge of the unit upon which it is mounted, the sides of said channel-shaped connectors being in abutting relation, the side walls of said channel-shaped connectors being formed with holes at spaced apart intervals along their length and bolt means extending through said holes to join said abutting side walls of said channelshaped connectors together whereby said co-extensive edges of said panels are joined to each other, said base of each of said channel-shaped connectors being broader than the edge of the curtain wall section upon which it is mounted and overhanging the edge thereof, the overhanging portions of said channel-shaped connectors being in opposed relation to form a mullion portion, a decorative channel-shaped cover for said mullion portion, securing means operative between the base of said overhanging portions of said channel-shaped connectors and said channel-shaped cover holding said cover in position on said overhanging portions of said channel-shaped connectors whereby to cover said connectors.

2. In'a curtain wall comprising a plurality of units, means joining adjacent units along co-extensive edges comprising a pair of channel-shaped connectors, said connectors having a base and sides extending from said base, one of said channel-shaped connectors being base mounted on the perimeter edge of one of said units, the other of said channel-shaped connectors being base mounted on the perimeter edge on the other of said units, each of said channel-shaped connectors being mounted as aforesaid with their sides extending outwardly of the edge of the unit upon which it is mounted, the sides of said channel-shaped connectors being in abutting relation, the side walls of said channel-shaped connectors being formed with holes at spaced apart intervals along their length and bolt means extending through said holes Ito join said abutting side walls of said channelshaped connectors together whereby said co-extens-ive edges of said panels are joined to each other, said channelshaped connectors each being formed with a longitudinally extending cut-away portion in their base, a clip secured to the side of said abutting sides of said channel members where said cut-away portions are formed therein, said clip forming a channel with the cut-away portion of said connector members, a thermal break insulating strip between said clip and the sides of said connector members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,057,444 10/1962 Walberg 52-461 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner. 

1. IN A CURTAIN WALL COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF UNITS, MEANS JOINING ADJACENT UNITS ALONG CO-EXTENSIVE EDGES COMPRISING A PAIR OF CHANNEL-SHAPED CONNECTORS, SAID CONNECTORS HAVING A BASE AND SIDES EXTENDING FROM SAID BASE, ONE OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED CONNECTORS BEING BASE MOUNTED ON THE PERIMETER EDGE OF ONE OF SIAD UNITS, THE OTHER OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED CONNECTORS BEING BASE MOUNTED ON THE PERIMETER EDGE ON THE OTHER OF SAID UNITS, EACH OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED CONNECTORS BEING MOUNTED AS AFORESAID WITH THEIR SIDES EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF THE EDGE OF THE UNIT UPON WHICH IT IS MOUNTED, THE SIDES OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED CONNECTORS BEING IN ABUTTING RELATION, THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED CONNECTORS BEING FORMED WITH HOLES AT SPACED APART INTERVALS ALONG THEIR LENGTH AND BOLT MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOLES TO JOIN SAID ABUTTING SIDE WALLS OF SAID CHANNELSHAPED CONNECTORS TOGETHER WHEREBY SAID CO-EXTENSIVE EDGES OF SAID PANELS ARE JOINED TO EACH OTHER, SAID BASE OF EACH OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED BEING BROADER THAN THE EDGE OF THE CURTAIN WALL SECTION UPON WHICH IT IS MOUNTED AND OVERHANGING THE EDGE THEREOF, THE OVERHANGING PORTIONS OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED CONNECTORS BEING IN OPPOSED RELATION TO FORM A MULLION PORTION, A DECORATIVE CHANNEL-SHAPED COVER FOR SAID MULLION PORTION, SECURING MEANS OPERATIVE BETWEEN THE BASE OF SAID OVERHANGING PORTIONS OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED CONNECTORS AND SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED COVER HOLDING SAID COVER IN POSITION ON SAID OVERHANGING PORTIONS OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED CONNECTORS WHEREBY TO COVER SAID CONNECTORS. 